To quote the William Miller character from “Almost Famous”, I am boldly going where many have gone before. The topic of who is/are the greatest pound for pound fighters ever is one that has been examined, analyzed, explored, probed, scrutinized, sliced, diced, debated, and argued by an infinite number of fans and authors over the years.
So why am I tackling this topic, one that has been beaten to death? Because, damn it! I want to have my say too! Of all the lists I’ve seen, I haven’t been entirely satisfied with any of them. I appreciate and respect the writers but strongly disagree with their conclusions in some cases. Thus, I am taking on the challenge I’ve posed to some of my readers. If you don’t agree with me and don’t like my opinion, prepare and work up an article of your own.
So, welcome to my version of the top 100 p4p. I reviewed the careers of nearly 400 boxers, gradually narrowing down to the final 100 based on the following criteria:
Dominance: How highly was the fighter regarded within his division and pound for pound during his peak years? How special/unique was his reign at the top of the boxing world?
Quality of Opposition: Who were the quality fighters that he faced? How did he fare against the best fighters of his era? Did quality opposition bring out his best in the ring?
Talent/Skills: How special/unique was the fighter’s skill set? How proficient was he in the following areas: Punching Power, Accuracy, Defense, Ring Generalship, Infighting, Endurance, Speed, Versatility/Adaptability, and Ability to Absorb Punishment.
Longevity: How long did the fighter maintain his level of excellence? How consistent was he over the course of his career?
Response to Adversity: How did the fighter respond to difficult circumstances during a fight? How well did he rebound and react to losses? Was he able to learn and adjust?
My rankings place heavy emphasis on the “Quality of Opposition” and “Response to Adversity” dimensions as, to me, these are the true make or break factors that define the greatness of a fighter.
Differentiating among the best of the best is major challenge. Consider there are nearly 300 boxers in the IBHOF, at least 200 of which will not be on this list. I have no doubt that there are those of you who will disagree as passionately with me as I have with those who’ve tackled this subject in the past. In the end, there is no one “right answer” and it is the discussion and exploration that makes the process enjoyable.
This series will start with Part 1: 10 Controversial Omissions. Here I’ll address those fighters not included on the list who I think will stir up the most dissent and disagreement, along with my rationale behind the omission. In the end, I’ve decided “to take my medicine up front”, rather than having readers wonder where/when a certain fighter will appear on the list, only to be disappointed in the end.
A special thank you to my research sources for this project, which include:
http://boxrec.com/
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/
http://www.ibhof.com/
http://boxing.about.com/od/history/a/ring_80_best.htm
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/557861-the-100-greatest-pound-for-pound-boxers-of-all-time
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/greatest/featureVideo?page=greatest4150
So why am I tackling this topic, one that has been beaten to death? Because, damn it! I want to have my say too! Of all the lists I’ve seen, I haven’t been entirely satisfied with any of them. I appreciate and respect the writers but strongly disagree with their conclusions in some cases. Thus, I am taking on the challenge I’ve posed to some of my readers. If you don’t agree with me and don’t like my opinion, prepare and work up an article of your own.
So, welcome to my version of the top 100 p4p. I reviewed the careers of nearly 400 boxers, gradually narrowing down to the final 100 based on the following criteria:
Dominance: How highly was the fighter regarded within his division and pound for pound during his peak years? How special/unique was his reign at the top of the boxing world?
Quality of Opposition: Who were the quality fighters that he faced? How did he fare against the best fighters of his era? Did quality opposition bring out his best in the ring?
Talent/Skills: How special/unique was the fighter’s skill set? How proficient was he in the following areas: Punching Power, Accuracy, Defense, Ring Generalship, Infighting, Endurance, Speed, Versatility/Adaptability, and Ability to Absorb Punishment.
Longevity: How long did the fighter maintain his level of excellence? How consistent was he over the course of his career?
Response to Adversity: How did the fighter respond to difficult circumstances during a fight? How well did he rebound and react to losses? Was he able to learn and adjust?
My rankings place heavy emphasis on the “Quality of Opposition” and “Response to Adversity” dimensions as, to me, these are the true make or break factors that define the greatness of a fighter.
Differentiating among the best of the best is major challenge. Consider there are nearly 300 boxers in the IBHOF, at least 200 of which will not be on this list. I have no doubt that there are those of you who will disagree as passionately with me as I have with those who’ve tackled this subject in the past. In the end, there is no one “right answer” and it is the discussion and exploration that makes the process enjoyable.
This series will start with Part 1: 10 Controversial Omissions. Here I’ll address those fighters not included on the list who I think will stir up the most dissent and disagreement, along with my rationale behind the omission. In the end, I’ve decided “to take my medicine up front”, rather than having readers wonder where/when a certain fighter will appear on the list, only to be disappointed in the end.
A special thank you to my research sources for this project, which include:
http://boxrec.com/
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/
http://www.ibhof.com/
http://boxing.about.com/od/history/a/ring_80_best.htm
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/557861-the-100-greatest-pound-for-pound-boxers-of-all-time
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/greatest/featureVideo?page=greatest4150